we have been discussing how we could have cloud-init in the Debian
cloud

images.
One solution is to enable wheezy-backports by default in the images.

Though there are some concerns that we shouldn't do that, as this
isn't

the default in Debian right now.

If it's just to pull the package in during image build, is that a
particular problem?

The other solution would be to add cloud-init in the next point
release
of Wheezy. We all know that there's some strong rules that we
shouldn't
add new things in the stable distribution, even more after the
freeze.

I assume you mean after the release? It's a little late to worry about
being after the freeze.

However, there has been some exception, like for example for the
kernel
which includes new drivers. I believe we are in this kind of
exception,

where the package is a crucial piece, without which the Debian cloud

images will never work. Building an official Debian cloud image
without

it is not an option, unfortunately. Cloud-init is indeed an industry
standard, as described in the above thread, and is mandatory.

The kernel's slightly different; it's also changing content, not
packages.

I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but during the cycles
I've been involved with Debian one new package has been introduced after
a release and that was for a _very_ particular purpose - in fact, it was
introduced by the security team in a DSA (openssh-blacklist).

If cloud-init is so mission-critical, why was this never noticed or
raised *before* the release?